its highly useful on pets, +dmg always helpful and the +tohit is especially good when your fighting tougher baddies
its more useful than if you were trying to solo a /therm corr lol
30% damage buff on your boss pet is not enough? With enough recharge, you can easily keep two-three Forge going on different pets.
If you really want to skip, skip the anti-mez power Thaw.
Forge is my favorite power in /thermal. The tohit buff is very good for human players. Pets get your supremacy so accuracy is usually not a big problem.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
Quote:
/agree with this, i forgot about that power, and would advise skipping it unless your teaming a lot
|
Originally Posted by Jibikao
If you really want to skip, skip the anti-mez power Thaw.
|
I should point out that I'm playing Mercs/Thermal. There are some pools I want to mix in so I've really got to hunt for good skipping powers. I'm tempted to even give up Melt Armor or Heat Exhaustion, but Forge is at the top of the list for now.
Basically I've got enough def debuffs to never worry about missing in single player, and the only pet who's worth buffing damage on is the Commando. It would be really nice to get the boost, though. Maybe I'll wait and take Forge when I'm pushing close to Level 50, so as to have it available for end game content.
I would never drop Forge.
How about posting your build? Maybe someone can recommend a different way to both meet your goals *and* keep Forge?
Lewis
Random AT Generation!
"I remember... the Alamo." -- Pee-wee Herman
"Oh don't worry. I always leave things to the last moment." -- The Doctor
"Telescopes are time machines." -- Carl Sagan
Don't skip Forge, Heat Ex, or Melt Armor. Seriously, they're core powers in thermal.
Quote:
What this guy said.|
Originally Posted by DreadShinobi
Don't skip Forge, Heat Ex, or Melt Armor. Seriously, they're core powers in thermal.
|
Hell, I'd skip one of the heals or the exotic resist shield before I'd skip Forge.
Where to now?
Check out all my guides and fiction pieces on my blog.
The MFing Warshade | The Last Rule of Tanking | The Got Dam Mastermind
Everything Dark Armor | The Softcap
don'T attempt to read tHis mEssaGe, And believe Me, it is not a codE.
Quote:
Thermal is a good mix of defensive and offensive Support set. By skipping Forge, Melting Armor and Heat Exhaustion, you skipped 3 important Offensive tools... why bother picking Thermal then?|
Originally Posted by Berzerker_NA
I should point out that I'm playing Mercs/Thermal. There are some pools I want to mix in so I've really got to hunt for good skipping powers. I'm tempted to even give up Melt Armor or Heat Exhaustion, but Forge is at the top of the list for now.
Basically I've got enough def debuffs to never worry about missing in single player, and the only pet who's worth buffing damage on is the Commando. It would be really nice to get the boost, though. Maybe I'll wait and take Forge when I'm pushing close to Level 50, so as to have it available for end game content. |
Between Forge and Melting Armor, I would skip Melting Armor. I definitely will not skip Heat Exhaustion. -500% regen is nothing to laugh at.
Forge VS Melting Armor VS Heat Exhaustion
I will choose Forge first. Why?
Forge's buff is constant and you can apply to at least 2 targets with SOs. Yes, Merc may not be the best choice but your teammates will like it.
Melting Armor has 22% debuff. Your Merc is probably slotted with AH Proc. When I played my /thermal, I sometimes forget to use Melting Armor but if you have good recharge, it's decent.
Heat Exhaustion, while it has nasty 500% -regen and -50% damage debuff debuff, if you don't fight AVs all the time, you won't notice HE's benefit that much.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
Quote:
By the time you have 90-118% dmg enhancement aren't additional dmg buffs worth only around half of their value to base when compared to your total dmg as in 30% dmg buff to an attack with 100 dmg base and 100 dmg enhancement 200 dmg before external buffs only gains and additional 30 dmg in this case a 15% boost to total damage. Unless I'm missing somthing 22% -res does much more for your damage. As that one 200 damage attack should now deal an additional 44 dmg and all your damage sources gain a similar boost
|
Originally Posted by Jibikao
Thermal is a good mix of defensive and offensive Support set. By skipping Forge, Melting Armor and Heat Exhaustion, you skipped 3 important Offensive tools... why bother picking Thermal then?
Between Forge and Melting Armor, I would skip Melting Armor. I definitely will not skip Heat Exhaustion. -500% regen is nothing to laugh at. Forge VS Melting Armor VS Heat Exhaustion I will choose Forge first. Why? Forge's buff is constant and you can apply to at least 2 targets with SOs. Yes, Merc may not be the best choice but your teammates will like it. Melting Armor has 22% debuff. Your Merc is probably slotted with AH Proc. When I played my /thermal, I sometimes forget to use Melting Armor but if you have good recharge, it's decent. Heat Exhaustion, while it has nasty 500% -regen and -50% damage debuff debuff, if you don't fight AVs all the time, you won't notice HE's benefit that much. |
Quote:
this is actually what i did on my thug/thermal, i skipped the 2nd fire shield cause the other powers in thermal are much better|
Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison
What this guy said.
Hell, I'd skip one of the heals or the exotic resist shield before I'd skip Forge. |
if i were picking powers the top 3 skips i would choose in thermal would be:
- the mez protect
- the 2nd shield for exotic dmg
- and the ally rez
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Berzerker_NA
I should point out that I'm playing Mercs/Thermal. There are some pools I want to mix in so I've really got to hunt for good skipping powers. I'm tempted to even give up Melt Armor or Heat Exhaustion, but Forge is at the top of the list for now.
|
Quote:
It's been a while but I think pets have damage cap at 400%? If so, with full enhancements, that's only pushing it up to 200ish %? |
Originally Posted by Cheetatron
By the time you have 90-118% dmg enhancement aren't additional dmg buffs worth only around half of their value to base when compared to your total dmg as in 30% dmg buff to an attack with 100 dmg base and 100 dmg enhancement 200 dmg before external buffs only gains and additional 30 dmg in this case a 15% boost to total damage. Unless I'm missing somthing 22% -res does much more for your damage. As that one 200 damage attack should now deal an additional 44 dmg and all your damage sources gain a similar boost
|
It is true that pets have lower base damage so 30% damage buff on them isn't as good as on Corr/Defender but the good news is Corr/Defender can't cast Forge on themselves but MMs can cast on their "weapons".
-22% resist is better than 30% damage buff but Melting Armor has pretty long recharge. You can't have it up every fight... well, you can if you are Merc and you are fighting like x7 or x8. hehe That may take a while to finish off the whole group.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
As per Unclepeon's request, here is my build.
You're going to laugh. I'm going for a tankermind build, and I gave her two punching powers. This is my actual in game build of the character right now. She's level 28. Other than that the IO's are lower in level than shown, they are the ones she's using right now. Except in some places I put IO's where I'm really using DO's.
I'm having good luck using burst and grenade to taunt Mobs (instead of taking an actual taunt power), and then I like using Boxing and Air superiority to shut down the boss and deal a bit of damage.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.952
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Major Mercury: Level 49 Mutation Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Mercenaries
Secondary Power Set: Thermal Radiation
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fighting
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Soldiers -- BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(A), BldM'dt-Acc(3), LdyGrey-%Dam(3), Achilles-ResDeb%(5), Empty(5), Empty(7)
Level 1: Warmth -- Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx(A), Mrcl-EndRdx/Rchg(7), Mrcl-Heal/Rchg(9), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(9)
Level 2: Burst -- Salvo-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rng(A), LdyGrey-%Dam(11)
Level 4: Cauterize -- Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Mrcl-Heal/Rchg(11)
Level 6: Equip Mercenary -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Super Speed -- EndRdx-I(A), Run-I(13)
Level 10: Grant Invisibility -- DefBuff-I(A), EndRdx-I(13)
Level 12: Spec Ops -- BldM'dt-Acc(A), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(15), EdctM'r-PetDef(17), LdyGrey-%Dam(17), Achilles-ResDeb%(19)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A), EndRdx-I(19)
Level 16: Power of the Phoenix -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 18: M30 Grenade -- Det'tn-Acc/Dmg(A), FrcFbk-Rechg%(21), FrcFbk-Rchg/EndRdx(21)
Level 20: Thaw -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResKB(23), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(23), Aegis-EndRdx/Rchg(25)
Level 22: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(25)
Level 24: Air Superiority -- EndRdx-I(A), Acc-I(27)
Level 26: Commando -- SvgnRt-PetResDam(A), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(27)
Level 28: Plasma Shield -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Empty(29), Empty(29), Empty(31)
Level 30: [Empty]
Level 32: [Empty]
Level 35: [Empty]
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
The two unfilled slots on the bottom tier pet are actually filled by Command of the Mastermind def vs. AOE, and Damage/Accuracy procs. My version of Mids doesn't have those yet, so I left them out. Also I accidentally added 3 empty slots to Plasma Shield, but really I only have 1 slot on it so far.
Later on I want to take afterburner, and maybe Hasten (and.... just maybe if I have room take burnout as well.) Also I want to take Serum at some point.
The real problem isn't whether it's tactically wise to forgo Forge in single player. I'm pretty sure I won't miss it with Mercs.
It's whether people will feel ok about it on teams. Is a /thermal with no Forge like a /FF with no shields, or is it a really optional buff? I like to do everything I can to make people want to team with me since.... you know.... I'm playing an MM and all.
Quote:
No one's going to crucify you over a S.T. dmg buff that only does 30% and presumably can't stack on a single target
|
Originally Posted by Berzerker_NA
The real problem isn't whether it's tactically wise to forgo Forge in single player. I'm pretty sure I won't miss it with Mercs.
It's whether people will feel ok about it on teams. Is a /thermal with no Forge like a /FF with no shields, or is it a really optional buff? I like to do everything I can to make people want to team with me since.... you know.... I'm playing an MM and all. |
Quote:
I would say even though /thermal has several offensive debuffs and tools, most people find /thermal mostly for the buffs and heals. I would keep Forge up if I were you. The duration is pretty long.
|
Originally Posted by Berzerker_NA
The real problem isn't whether it's tactically wise to forgo Forge in single player. I'm pretty sure I won't miss it with Mercs.
It's whether people will feel ok about it on teams. Is a /thermal with no Forge like a /FF with no shields, or is it a really optional buff? I like to do everything I can to make people want to team with me since.... you know.... I'm playing an MM and all. |
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
I'm trying to talk myself into skipping it, but I've heard players say that they like it a lot. The MM version is +15% ToHit and +30% damage. It just doesn't seem like enough of a boost to get all drooly over, and it has no defense or resistance effects.